Sulky



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sinai; 1*

J. H. BLAGKMORE. Sulky.

No.239,-2I8. P atented March 22,1881.

"PETERSl FHHTI'LLIIHOGMPHER, WASHINGTON, D. O.

tree.

wheels being omitted.

. UNrrED STATES PAT NT Orrrcn.

JAMES H. BLACKMORE, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

SULKY.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 239,218, dated March22, 1881.

Application filed November 22, 1880. (N0 model.)

,ing is a full description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a sulkyconstructed according to my invention, the

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section. Fig. 3 is a side elevation ofthe sulky without wheels. Fig. 4 is a detached view of the foot-boards.Fig. 5 is a view illustrating a modification of the footsupport. Fig. 6is a detached view, illustratingthe form and arrangement of the single-This invention relates to sulkies or twowheeled vehicles which have aspring-seat and a platform or foot rest or support to move with the seatand relieve the feet and knees from jarring action in use. Its objectsare to facilitate the balancingof the sulky withrespect to the weight ofthe driver, to simplify the construction of thevehicle, to enable thehorse to be hitched close to the axle, and to simplify the applicationof springs to sulkies. In the drawings, a indicates the axle of a sulkyb,connectingrod or rods c, the shafts; d, seat-arms; e, the seat; f,thumb-screws; g, the bar of the foot-rest h, cross-slats of thefoot-rest; 5, spring ;.j, the whiffletree; 7c, the cross-bar; Z,stirrup; m, clip; 'n,brace; 0, pivot; p, eyes or loops.

The wheels, axle, and shafts are made in any of the usual or well-known.forms in the ordinary manner. y

The seat, which may be single or double, in the form shown, is supportedupon the rear ends of the arms cl, and firmly attached to each of theseseat-arms at their forward ends is a strong pivot, 0, which passesbeneath the shaft 0, upon which they turn, and it is held in place by aneye orloop of metal, 19, through which it passes, which is secured tothe shaft by screws or other suitable fastcnings. On the outer end ofthis pivot a thread is cut, and a nut screwed thereon holds itsecurelyin the eye or loop. Iplace and arrange two or more of these eyesor loops p on the under side of each shaft, a short distance apart, asshown, and they are preferably cut or formed into a single piece ofmetal. As the seat-arms are thrown forward or backward upon the shaftsthe weight of the seat-burden is increased or lessened upon the hack ofthe horse, and thus a proper and desirable poise or balance of thevehicle canbe maintained with varying burdens by shifting the pivot inthe eyes, which is readily done by removing the out upon its end; and ifthe seat parts and the parts of the foot-rest are arranged to turn onthe same pivots, which is a preferable arrangement, they are all shiftedtogether. If thrown backward, additional room is obtained for the horse,permitting him to be hooked nearer the axle.

It is apparent that my invention will permit the vehicle to be regulatedto suit the lengths or sizes of different horses. When the foot-rest isshifted or arranged backward to make room for the horse, I can stillregulate and preserve the poise and balance of the vehicle bymoving theshifting or sliding seat 6 upon the arms d. These arms d have each amortise or slot'cut in them underneath the seat e, in each of which athumbscrew is arranged, having a shoulder against the arm, which can bemoved backward and forward, and which can be readily turned into nutssecured beneath the seat-frame, and in this manner the seat is firmlyheld at any point within the range of the slot.

It is evident that other kinds of shifting devices might be used tosecure the seat in position.

The eyes p may be of wood or other suitable material, and may be soconstructed as to furnish a thin metal plate between the pivot andshaft. They may be given position on the upper surface of the shafts, oron either side, or on the seat-arm, or on the cross-bar, with a relativechange in the attachment of the pivot,

which may be passed through the shaft or seat-arm, if desired.

I do not confine myself to eyes or loops p through which to pass thepivots. Two or more half eyes or staples may be placed on each shaft,and in some forms of attachment simple holes, spurs, or pins may be usedto provide places for difierent points for attachment and adjustment. Itis evident that various devices may be used for attaching the seat-barsto thecross-bar or shafts.

Theseat-arms d may be bent or drawn inward at their rear ends, accordingto the size of the seat desired, and in the form shown they pass overrubber or other suitable springs, 'i, which are supported by the shaftsor frame. Suitable springs may be supported upon the seat-arms cl and begiven bearing upon the shafts or other. part; or the seat may have otherform of spring-support. In some forms of construction the arms 01 may berigidly or both rigidly and adjustably secured to the shafts.

The cross-slats of the platform or foot-rest, if of wood, are preferablybent or formed so that the grain of the wood runs the full length ofthem, or nearly so, and they are secured upon the bar 9 by bolts,screws, or other suitable fastenings, which bar is supported upon thesprings, seat-arms, cross-bar, or shafts by rods, bolts, or other usualor suitable connections. I prefer that the seat and the foot-rest be soarranged as to maintain the same relative positions to each other, ornearly the same, when in use. In the form shown the support of thecross-slats of the foot-rest is a continuous bar of wood or othersuitable material, semicircular in form at the rear, and bent or curvedupward at its forward ends; but it may be in two pieces, and they may bestraight bars or deflected at any desired point in their length, and itmay be of two or more pieces so rigidly and securely connected as tomake practically a single or continuous bar. A continuous bar, or onepractically so, greatly strengthens and stiifens the feet-supportingdevice at its rear end, and there is less liability of racking and ofbreakage of the parts. By giving the cross pieces or slats h a bent orcurved form, as shown, I have upon the upper margins of the foot-restsuflicient room and stretch for the legs and feet of the driver, andprovide additional space back of the horse, between the feet and legs ofthe driver, for the action of the animal, and avoid the objection ofhaving too great length in the shafts. If straight cross pieces or slatswere used, the horse would necessarily be hooked farther forward in theshafts, which would require to be made relatively longer. Several ofthese cross-slats are used in the construction of the foot-rest, andthey are preferably placed a little distance apart, as shown; but theymay be given position close together, and in this form the footrest ismuch stronger than when made of one or more boards havin ga concavitycut or sawed into the front board.

The foot-rest may be constructed with one or more straight cross-slatsand one or more curved or bent cross-slats in combination, the latterbeing placed at the front end of the footrest with their concave sidestoward the front of the vehicle.

The platform or foot-rest, formed and described as above, may bedispensed with in such vehicles where intended to carry but one person,and upon each seatarm (1 may be supported an individual foot-restorstirrup, I, placed at a convenient distance from the seat. These restsor stirrups I may be of any suitable shape, and of wood, iron, or othersuitable material. In the form shown they are secured beneath theseat-arms d by clips m and by braces n. They may be attached, however,by any suitable device or fastening, and they may be secured and givenposition on any part of the seat-arms 07, either upon the top or sidesof them. This form affords foot-rests or stirrups which rise and fallwith the seat, and being placed at the sides of the vehicle, or nearlyso, out of the way of the action of the horse, they have an advantageover other kinds of footsupports for track or speed purposes, where itis desirable and necessary to hitch the horse as near the axle aspossible.

The whiffletreej is secured beneath the crossbar in the ordinary manner,and it is made of wood or other suitable material, so bent, shaped, orformed that the ends thereof to which the traces of the harness areattached are thrown forward out from under the crossbar, where its endscan be readily seen and the traces more easily attached than whencovered by the cross-bar. And there is this further advantage in my formof whiffletree: The shafts of the vehicle being longer than those in usein most other vehicles, by throwing the ends of the whiffletree forward,as shown and described, I am enabled to use a harness that has beenpreviously adjusted for the shorter. shafts of other vehicles withoutthe labor of letting out or lengthening its traces, while I keep thecross-bar back where it cannot interfere with the action of the horsewhen driven at speed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1.. The combination, with the shafts of a sulky, of the seat-arms,adjustably connected thereto and movable longitudinally thereupon,substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the sulky-shafts, of the plates having loops orpivot-holes formed therein, and the seat-arms and foot-support pivotedto said plate, said foot-support being at its rear end suspended fromsaid seat-arms, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a sulky-frame, of

the suitably-supported longitudinally-adjusted seat-supportin g arms andthe adjustable, seat supported by said arms, substantially as described.4. The combination, with the sulky-shafts and the rearwardly-extendin gseat-supporting arms secured thereto, of the adjustable seat supportedby said arms, substantially as described. y

5. The combination, with the'shafts a, connected by the cross-bar lo,which has the whiffletree j attached thereto, of the suspendedfoot-support composed of a suitable slat-supporting frame and therearwardly-curved slats h, the side bars of the foot-supportbeingattached to the shafts in advance of the whiffletree, substantiallyas described, whereby a 5' convenient foot-support below the shafts andon each side of the horse may be obtained.

6. The foot-support composed of a suitable slat-supporting frame and therearwardlycurved slats h, having their ends secured to 10 said frame,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination, with the shafts 0, crossbar is, and seat-arms cl,pivoted to said shafts, of the springs 6, arranged upon said cross-barand under said seat-arms, substantially as de- 15 scribed.

JAMES H. BLAGKMORE.

In presence of FRANK M. NoBLEs, H. E. KILBOURNE.

